Sandwiches are a staple of American cuisine, but if you're getting tired of turkey and Swiss on rye, we've got the answers! Chris Kimballfrom Cook's Country magazine shares some sandwiches that'll fill you up.
Recipe: Cubano Sandwiches (on this page) Recipe: Muffuletta (on this page) Recipe: Fiesta Slaw (on this page)Traditionally, Cubano sandwiches feature thinly sliced roast pork along with the customary ham and Swiss cheese, but considering that few of us tend to have leftover roast pork, we searched for an alternative. In the end, we settled on pork cutlets. Since they are readily available, quick cooking, and flavorful, pork cutlets were the secret to our homemade Cubano sandwiches and well worth the 10 minutes it took to cook them just to make the sandwiches.
Season the pork cutlets liberally with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the pork cutlets and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a plate. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet, return to medium-high heat until just smoking, and cook the remaining cutlets. Transfer the cutlets to the plate, then wipe the skillet clean with a wad of paper towels.
Hollow out the inside of the rolls by removing some of the interior crumb from both the top and bottom crusts. Spread mustard liberally inside each hollow. Assemble 4 sandwiches by layering the ingredients into the rolls as follows: 1 tablespoon pickles, 1 slice Swiss cheese, 2 slices ham, 2 cutlets, 1 more slice Swiss cheese, and finally 1 more tablespoon pickles. Press gently on the sandwiches to set.
Brush the tops of the sandwiches with half of the melted butter. Lay them buttered-side down in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Place a large Dutch oven on top of the sandwiches and cook until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes.
Remove the Dutch oven, brush the sandwiches lightly with some of the remaining butter, and flip them over. Replace the Dutch oven on top of the sandwiches and cook until the second side is crisp and golden, about 4 minutes.
Thinly sliced leftover pork can be substituted for the pork cutlets. If you can't fit all 4 sandwiches in the skillet at once, cook them in batches and hold the first batch in a warm oven.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves 4
What makes this New Orleans-style sandwich special is the olive salad. While the original recipe for this salad seems to be a closely guarded secret, we've combined olives with roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, and herbs to make a salad that is just as flavorful. Creating a hollow for the savory salad makes the sandwich easier to assemble and keeps it from becoming soggy.
To make the olive salad
Stir all of the ingredients together, cover, and refrigerate for 8 or up to 24 hours.
To assemble the sandwich
Drain the olive salad, reserving the marinade. Cut the bread in half horizontally and remove most of the interior crumb.
Brush both inside pieces of the bread with the reserved marinade. Place half of the olive salad in the hollowed-out bread and top with the sliced mortadella, provolone, and salami. Top with the remaining olive salad, wrap the sandwich in plastic wrap, and press it between two plates, using a few heavy cans on top as weights. Place the weighted sandwich in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours. Before serving, unwrap the sandwich and cut it into wedges.
Be sure to use good-quality brine-cured olives in this recipe. Do not use canned olives. Brine-cured olives are either sold in plastic deli containers in the refrigerated section or in jars in the pickle aisle. If you wish, you can cut this sandwich into small wedges and serve as party appetizers.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time:9 hours 10 minutes (includes 8 hours for marinating the olive salad and 30 minutes for pressing the sandwich)
Serves 6 to 8
Although a mix of red, orange, and yellow peppers will provide the prettiest appearance, this slaw can be made with just one type of bell pepper. For a spicier slaw, do not remove the inner flesh and seeds from the jalapeño. Very thin strips of bell pepper are essential for this recipe, so make sure your knife is plenty sharp.
Whisk lime juice, zest, oil, garlic, jalapeño, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Add peppers and cilantro and toss well to combine. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve.
Serves 4 to 6
© 2012 NBC News. Reprints
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